


A Lovely Accident

by glyphsbowtie



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Hospital, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-09
Updated: 2016-02-09
Packaged: 2018-05-19 10:17:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5963683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glyphsbowtie/pseuds/glyphsbowtie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which a clumsy coffee shop worker gets a crush on his aloof nurse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Lovely Accident

**Author's Note:**

  * For [disgustedqueen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/disgustedqueen/gifts).



The first time was a genuine accident. One minute, Ben was running down the stairs from his apartment, and the next he was sprawled at the bottom with a throbbing ankle.

He tugged at the cuff of his skinny black jeans and hissed in pain; they were too tight to roll up, and his rapidly swelling ankle was constricted by the tight material. He tried to stand and immediately fell to his knees. There was no way this would work.

Thank God his phone was in his pocket. Fishing it out, he paused for a long moment but then accepted the inevitable: he was going to have to call his father.

“Dad,” he said, and was ashamed of how weak his voice sounded, “can you give me a lift to the hospital?”

His father sighed. “What have you done now?”

Ben thought that was a bit harsh. It had been six months since he had been in hospital. And surely it wasn't his fault that he spent so much time there. He just seemed more prone to accidents than other people. His uncle Luke often blamed it on Ben’s unnaturally lanky frame; he had inherited his grandfather’s height.

Twenty minutes later his father walked in and exhaled loudly at the sight of his only son sprawled out on the floor.

“I thought you said you were going to get a haircut,” his father barked by way of greeting.

Ben touched his long black hair and rolled his eyes. “No, dad. I feel like we've been having this conversation my whole life. Are you going to help me to the car or…?”

The older Solo rolled his eyes right back at him. “Honestly, kiddo, you're a catastrophe.” He yanked his son to his feet- no easy task now that Ben was a fully grown man who towered above him- and helped him out to his car.

“At least you're not bleeding,” Han reflected as he started the engine. “Remember when you got that cut at the coffee shop and got blood all over the Falcon?”

“Please stop calling the car that,” Ben said, allowing himself to close his eyes. “It's so embarrassing.”

“Not as if you have anyone I can embarrass you in front of. What happened to that guy you were dating?”

Ben felt a blush rising on his cheeks. “He broke up with me.” Ben remembered their parting argument vividly.  _ You're a spoilt brat, Ben Solo! I can't take anymore of you and your moods! _

Han sighed. “There's always Poe Dameron. He's always asking your mother about you, you know.”

“Ugh, dad. He's attractive and all but he's playing the field. He isn't relationship material.”

“Don't let your mother hear that. He's her favourite employee.”

Ben didn't reply. Before long they crunched into the car park of the hospital and his father helped him into the waiting room.

In due course, a serious-looking nurse popped his head into the waiting room and called, “Ben Organa-Solo!”

He wrinkled his nose as Ben staggered over, propped up by his father. He gestured to them to follow and they entered a small cubicle. Ben hopped up on the bed and stared at the nurse.

He was roughly the same age as Ben, with a nice body beneath his scrubs. The fingers working with agitation at Ben’s jeans were long and freckled.

“I'm going to have to cut these off above the ankle,” he snapped. “They aren't the wisest choice.”

How rude. Ben frowned but remained still as the nurse reached for some scissors.

“That's what I keep telling him,” Han said.

The nurse took one look at the ankle before announcing, “It’s broken. I'll send you for an x-ray but I have no doubt.”

Ben scowled at him. “It could just be sprained.”

“It isn’t.”

* * *

 

It wasn't. 

The second time was when Ben went to get his cast changed. When he realised he had the bad tempered, red haired nurse again he scowled.

This time, Ben was here alone, and he realised with a start of embarrassment that his heart was racing as he sat on the chair in the private room. The nurse knelt down and began removing the cast. Those long, freckled fingers were cool on Ben’s sore flesh.

“Can I buy you a coffee?” Ben blurted out.

He felt his cheeks flood with colour as the nurse looked up at him, eyebrows raised. “That's not really appropriate.”

“No- I'm sorry- well, to be fair, I wouldn't be buying it… my family owns a coffee shop down the road, and I work there, but…” Ben forced himself to shut up.

“No, thank you,” the nurse said, looking back down at the ankle.

* * *

 

The third time was in the coffee shop.

It was several weeks later and his ankle was finally healing enough for him to do a full shift at Starwalker Coffee Co. He was busy mopping down the counter and enjoying the late afternoon lull.

The nurse walked in. He looked glorious, a long black wool coat over a soft sweater and dark jeans. He raised an eyebrow as he glanced around the empty shop.

“Are you open?’ he asked dryly.

Ben was aware of his coffee stained checked shirt and sweaty knot of hair he had tied loosely at the base of his neck. “Yeah, what can I get you?”

The nurse approached the counter. Ben briefly entertained the notion that the nurse was here deliberately but he didn't appear to recognise the scruffy man offering him coffee.

“My ankle is healing well,” Ben tried.

The eyes looking back were like chips of ice.

“You were my nurse.” Ben knew he was blushing. “Sorry, what can I get you?”

“Green tea to go, please.”

“What name?” Ben asked, producing a Sharpie from his apron.

The nurse cast sarcastic eyes around the empty shop. “There aren't any other customers. Surely you don't need my name.”

“Policy,” Ben lied. “Name, please.”

“Huxley. Or Hux.”

Ben wrote ‘Hux’ with a smile. He knew the nurse's name.

* * *

 

The fourth time was when his father had his second heart attack.

The call had come at four in the morning and when Ben ran into the hospital, exhausted, he almost collided with Hux.

“It's you. What have you done to yourself now?”

If Ben was thinking straight, he would have allowed himself a moment to celebrate the fact that Hux did remember him after all.

“My dad’s had a heart attack.” Ben's voice cracked with emotion.

Hux’s expression changed entirely when he realised the state that Ben was in. He frowned gently. “I'm sorry. Which ward? I'll walk you up.”

Ben didn’t know. He tried to stammer this out but was silenced when Hux slipped his arm into the crook of Ben’s.

“Let’s find it together.”

* * *

 

The fifth time was the following morning. Ben was holding his father’s hand and having a doze, his head resting on his mother’s shoulder.

“Mr Organa-Solo,” Hux said, shaking his shoulder gently. “Ben!”

Ben blinked, looking at his two sleeping parents and the surprisingly soft face of the nurse.

“Your father will be fine,” Hux whispered quietly.

Ben smiled ruefully. “He’ll be back to complaining about my life choices in no time.”

Hux returned his smile, and it brightened his whole face. He was lovely. “What life choices?”

“Oh, everything. My terrible haircut. My terrible taste in jeans. My terrible taste in men.”

Hux squeezed his shoulder. “I don’t think you have terrible taste in men.”

* * *

 

The sixth time was in the coffee shop a week later. It was busy this time, and Ben was damp with sweat and feeling a bit flustered even before Hux walked in, typically calm and collected. He was gathering up empty cups and wiping tables. His uncle Luke was running the counter.

“A green tea, please,” Hux said, his clear tones audible over the bustle of the other customers.

He smiled over at Ben, who smiled sheepishly back over his tray of dirty mugs and tried his best to look appealing.

By the time Ben had finished, Hux was leaving the shop, and Ben watched in dismay as the man of his dreams stepped back outside.

Ben made a decision.

“Back in a minute,” he called to his uncle, who smiled knowingly.

Ben ran out of the shop onto the busy street and darted at the dark figure of the nurse.

“Hux!” he cried.

The shorter man paused and turned around. He raised an eyebrow expectantly.

“The first time you came to the shop… was it on purpose?” Ben asked.

The tiniest smile turned up the corner of Hux’s mouth. “You said you worked in a coffee shop not far from the hospital. I did have to try three different ones before I found you.”

Ben crushed his mouth to Hux’s. For a moment, the nurse did not respond, then Ben heard the dull thud of the tea hitting the pavement before eager fingers tangled in Ben’s hair and Hux kissed him back, deeply, gently.

“Can I replace that tea?” Ben asked softly as their mouths came apart.

Hux smiled.

* * *

 

The thirty first time was when Ben told Hux he was in love with him. Hux had smiled, ran his fingers across the coarse stubble on Ben’s face, and replied that he felt the same.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm over on Tumblr at glittern0va :)


End file.
